Cooking for two

Quinoa basis for great stews

For those who want to love quinoa more than they do, incorporating quinoa into a soup or stew is one way to avoid its stick-in-your-teeth seediness. Black Bean, Quinoa and Spinach Stew. Cooking for one. Illustrates FOOD-ONE (category d), by Joe Yonan (c) 2012, The Washington Post. Moved Monday, Oct. 22, 2012. (MUST CREDIT: Photo for The Washington Post by Deb Lindsey.)
For those who want to love quinoa more than they do, incorporating quinoa into a soup or stew is one way to avoid its stick-in-your-teeth seediness. Black Bean, Quinoa and Spinach Stew. Cooking for one. Illustrates FOOD-ONE (category d), by Joe Yonan (c) 2012, The Washington Post. Moved Monday, Oct. 22, 2012. (MUST CREDIT: Photo for The Washington Post by Deb Lindsey.)

— I’m a grain lover: wild about wheat berries, fanatical about farro. But keen on quinoa? Not so much.

Let’s just get all the negative stuff out of the way. It’s too small. I can’t sink my teeth into it. Instead, the first time I tried eating quinoa as a couscous-style base for a stir-fry, it seemed to slip away in my mouth, only to work itself into the spaces between my teeth.

My favorite grains, on the other hand, are substantive. A little chewy, a little nutty. I would never accuse barley of disappearing when I bite into it, which is just what I love about it.

The thing is, quinoa (KEENwah) does have a lot going for it. Besides being quick and easy to cook, its tendency to vanish in a dish, the very quality I complain most vehemently about, is also what makes it versatile. Perhaps most important is the fact that it’s a complete protein - a single source of all the amino acids a body needs - makes it worthreconsidering.

For those who want to love quinoa more than they do, incorporating the grain into a soup or stew is one way to avoid its stick-in-your-teeth seediness.

Here, it bulks up a simple black bean soup, providing the starch (and extra protein) to make a hearty meal.

Black Bean, Quinoa and Spinach Stew

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive

oil 1 very small onion OR large

shallot, chopped 1 medium clove garlic, chopped 1 small carrot, chopped 1 teaspoon smoked paprika1 small tomato, hulled and

chopped 1/4 cup dried quinoa, rinsed and

drained 11/2 cups vegetable broth 1/2 cup cooked black beans 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black

pepper 1 cup lightly packed baby

spinach leaves, chopped

Heat oil until shimmering in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, tomato, quinoa, broth and black beans. Season with the salt and pepper.

Increase the heat to mediumhigh and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low so the mixture is barely bubbling around the edges.

Cover, and simmer until the quinoa has swelled and is tender, 20 minutes. Stir in the spinach leaves and cook just until they are wilted, a few minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Food, Pages 40 on 11/07/2012

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